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Throughout this page, we will share some hints that will immediately help you. Look for

If Each Student Improved Performance By ONE Letter Grade, How Would Those Results Affect Your School?

Meet and Potentially Exceed No Child Left Behind Mandates

Less Discipline and Expulsions

More Engaged Learning

Greater Personal Satisfaction Among Staff

Increased Parental Involvement

High Performance Culture Built on High Expectations

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Given that for the last 33 years, nationally schools have demonstrated less than an annual 1% improvement (Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress or NAEP http://nces.ed.gov) this question may seem outrageous and even ridiculous.

Low Expectations Lead to Low Results

If you don't believe that your school can increase the performance of your students by at ONE letter grade in each subject or academic discipline within one year, then the first thing you must do is to identify and acknowledge that belief.

Are Your Existing Solutions Not Delivering Results and
Costing You More Than You Can Afford?

According to research through North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) over 50% of the schools surveyed in a 2000 published report worked with external education consultants. Many of these schools were under performing. Yet, given data received from NAEP, the results still are not where they should be given the resources of time, people and money being expended to secure less than 1% annual national improvement over 33 years.

During the last 33 years, research continues to suggest that our young people are making minimal academic improvement. The national average reading scores for 17 year olds has not changed from 1971 to 2004 (285 to 285). Nationally, thirteen year olds have gained only 4 points in reading scores (255 to 259) or less than 2% in 33 years and the researchers call this gain significant! Nine year olds faired a little better growing from 208 to 219 (4.3%) over 33 years. Yet, given that these reading scores are based on a 500 point system, can we afford to deliver such dismal results? (Source: National Assessment of Educational Progress or NAEP)

Is This Expensive Path Delivering the Excellence That You Need?

Since high performing schools are still one of the best predictors for resale home value, parental involvement, the stability of the community and increased teacher retention, the inability to deliver sustained, academic excellence affects tax dollars for new initiatives, community and business support.

Do you agree with the "experts"(?) that our
young people are making significant progress?

If you agree with the experts that our young people are making significant progress through the current traditional, "outside-in" solutions or quick fixes, then stop reading right now! Our A. P.L.U.S.™ development process that includes:

Strategic planning from Executive Board to individual Schools

Professional development including Executive Leadership, Management, Customer Service and Time Management

Student development grades Sixth through Twelfth using America's Rising Stars research based and strength focused curriculum for student leadership

would definitely not work for your students, your teachers, your parents, your staff or even yourself.

WANTED:

SCHOOL LEADERS WHO BELIEVE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE NOT MAKING SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS AND ARE WASTING THEIR POTENTIAL!

However, if you, as a school leader, school board member, schoolteacher, parent or community leader believe that the time has arrived for a sustainable approach that begins from within each individual then please continue to read.

The A P.L.U.S.™ Development Process

AlignedPerformance forLearning byUtilizingStrengths

Benjamin Bloom many years ago recognized the importance of the three learning domains, Cognitive, Psychomotor and Affective. Yet, the majority of educational solutions directed towards educational reform through improved academic performance especially in urban schools focus mostly on the cognitive and fail to align all 3 learning domains toward the desired end result of improved performance. Additionally, these solutions are centered on the weaknesses of the individuals instead of the utilizing their strengths.

Winning teams win because of their strengths not their weaknesses. (Read down to Difference Number One)

Performance is really the results of the educational efforts and learning is the strategy for how schools secure those results. The old adage of " I can't believe that you did this because I taught you better than that!" comes to mind. From this statement, a presumption exists that your poor performance should not exist because you were taught to perform at a satisfactory level. Unfortunately, learning and performance are two separate behaviors. For example, we can be taught to read. However becoming a proficient reader requires practice and more practice not to mention the desire to want to become a good reader. (Read down to Difference Number Three)

Learning is the acquisition of knowledge. Performance is the application of knowledge. (Read down to Difference Number Three)

The A P.L.U.S.™ Difference

What makes the A P.L.U.S.™ Process different is its simplicity and common sense. Also, the individuals who deliver this process are performance consultants with demonstrated proven track records in securing results. Finally, once your people are developed because of WIIFM (What's In It For Me) then they can continue the positive changes necessary for any initiative to be successful or WIFFU (What's In It For Us) leading to a domino or cascading affect.

Difference Number One: This is a strength based results centered process. Process as defined by Webster is "a continuing development involving many changes." The four key principles within this process are:

Belief Identification and Acknowledgement

Attitude Development

Interpersonal Skill Development

Goal Achievement

If a process is not securing the desired results, then dismantle the process and construct a new process.

This process works with any individual from young students to older staff members to parents. Since this is a process and looks at the entire organization holistically, the traditional "silo" solutions are avoided thereby preventing potentially costly new silo problems.

Silo solutions are vertical alignments that are not horizontally aligned to other systems, strategies and people and cause miss opportunities. For example, a vertical alignment of language arts in grades 9-12 that is not horizontally aligned to social studies, mathematics and science does not allow for multiple applications for a single learning event or proficiency such as writing.

Difference Number Two: From an implementation standpoint, alignment is the beginning and starts at the top levels of management. The systems, strategies and people all must be in alignment to build satisfied internal shareholders leading to loyal external shareholders. Then alignment expands to include learning strategies from meta cognition to curriculum mapping as well as professional development.

The one-time afternoon professional development workshops unless reinforced with additional follow-up through mentoring or coaching waste taxpayer's dollars and reinforce that impact learning is an effective instructional strategy.

Difference Number Three:Learning and Performance are two separate and distinct behaviors. Even though performance is the application of knowledge and hence is really the results, the ability to acquire knowledge, learning, must also take place for individuals to be able to perform. Again, the identification of these two separate behaviors allows this process to work with both behaviors.

Let's be honest. Most young people know that they need to be on school on time especially after two to three years of conditioning. These same young people also know that homework needs to be returned, reading is necessary for success in today's knowledge driven society and the list goes on.

So what is the question?

Do They Know It?Or
Do They Want To Do It?

Difference Number Four: By taking a multi-dimensional approach to creating sustainable change, your actions should create additional value for your school. Hence, this process infuses and integrates two other nationally recognized programs.

Baldrige Criteria is one of the best national predictors for organizational success. Looking at the seven key categories of: Leadership; Strategic Planning; Students, Stakeholder and Market Focus; Measurements, Analysis and Knowledge Management; Faculty and Staff Focus; Process Management; Organizational Performance Results, allows a better way to address key issues facing each school and provides an opportunity for the school to apply for this nationally coveted award. Using an organizatonal assessment survey based on Baldrige criteria such as D.I.AL.O.G. is an affordable way to begin this process.

Lean Thinking works with the A P.L.U.S.™ process along with the Baldrige criteria to improve performance by removing the waste in the following 8 key areas: Defects, Overproduction, Inventory, Transportation, Processing, Motion, Waiting and Human Potential.

Waste removal accelerates performance. With instructional time drastically less than 100 years ago, with information doubling and budgets being trimmed each year, this is a key area to address to improve the performance of your students, school and staff.

Difference Number Five: Process is delivered by performance consultants who have a proven track record of success by delivering the desired results with clients. Doubling performance within 90 to 365 days is usually the standard. Hence a 25% increase in overall student performance within that same time frame is an attainable goal. Our strategic partners located in or near the majority of U.S. major metropolitan areas believe in the American public education system. They also know that improving performance is very doable provided the right processes and actions are taken in an aligned effort and believe that the change must come from within each individual.

Absolutely, no one can change any one's behavior for any extended time. Sustainable change must come from within each and every individual including students, parents, staff and community. All we can do as individuals is to change our beliefs and consequently attitudes that will change how others react to us.

So What Does the A P.L.U.S.™ Process Look Like For My School?

This is a very good question and the answer is that it at this time, honestly, we don't know the answer. However, ADVANCED SYSTEMS and its strategic partners would enjoy the opportunity to sit down with you and discuss this process. Our initial consultation is free.

So, if you are tired of doing the same thing over and over again hoping for different results and really want to jump-start your performance by at least 25%, why not call us at 219.759.5601 or drop us an email.

"The greatest glory is not in never failling, but in rising up every time we fall."

Confucius

P.S. IF YOU ARE WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK, YOU, TOO, CAN ACHIEVE UNHEARD OF RESULTS.